Hero of Another Kind
by daybreakanddusk
Summary: For the past six years, Kazumi has been hunting down the Akatsuki, always one step short or two steps far. She nearly had them once, but let them slip through her fingers, with no questions answered, no goals attained, and old wounds reopened. She swore she wouldn't let it happen again.
1. Of Undertakers and Immortals

**AN:** This isn't my first fan fiction, but it is the first I'm sharing with the world. I usually end up not liking how things come out and decide it'll never see the light of day. This idea has been swimming around my head for quite some time, morphing from one thing to the next. I've finally began to write it, and I'm not 100% sure where it'll go yet.

**Warning:** I haven't finished any of my previous fictions, so this doesn't have a very hopeful prognosis.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, or anything within the Naruto universe.

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><p>She moved like a shadow, a presence so faint, so quiet, it was almost as though she wasn't there at all. The building was small, with only three rooms, one of which was a shoebox bathroom. She watched from the ceiling, as if she were some supernatural predator. Two others were in the room with her, unaware of their unwanted guest. One paced to each window, the other guarded the door to her mark. Time seemed to slow as her mind began to process her surroundings on a higher level.<p>

Her first target didn't have the chance to struggle. She dropped behind him, her hand around his airways and kunai in his carotid in one fluid motion. The standing shinobi let out a shout, alarming his comrades, as he let fly a handful of shuriken. The masked kunoichi rolled away, gathering chakra to her feet. She ran across the wall, short sword in hand, enemy blurring through the hand seals for a water technique. A crystalline dragon came roaring at her. Focusing on the slim space between the man and his jutsu, she disappeared. Her blade pierced his heart and left lung as the body flicker inertia faded.

The ANBU operative took a moment to cross the arms over her victims' torsos as she debated her next move. They were expecting her by now, and if her intel was right - and it usually was - there were three more B to A rank rogues guarding the one she was after. There wasn't much use in stealth anymore, no way to ambush them. She was at a disadvantage, unless…

Sending a clone crashing through the door, she climbed out the closest window. A fire and wind combo hit the clone on sight. She brought chakra to the second degree burns and lacerations that itched at her shoulders as she swung into the room, the window shattering beneath her feet. Glass rained down on the shinobi, along with chakra infused shuriken. Most were deflected or dodged, but a lucky two found their mark. One lodged between the right deltoid and pectoral of a shinobi, the other in the left quad of another.

A jolt rocked through them the moment they were hit, causing the shinobi with the leg injury to collapse. She made quick work of him, a fresh clone snapping his neck as she charged the other wounded enemy. She attacked relentlessly with taijutsu as her clone distracted the remaining target in a similar manner. With a kunai in his arm, it was almost too easy to break his defense. Taking the first opening she saw, the assassin struck. Hard and fast, her fist connected with his sternum, shattering the bone. Electricity pulsed from her fist, and his heart beat no more.

She watched the light fade from his eyes, the only visible part of his face. She guided him to the floor as his brain shut down. She crossed his arms, and turned to see her clone barely dodge another wind technique. Flickering behind the final enemy, the real kunoichi slid a kunai between his first and second cervical vertebrae. The clone crossed the arms of the remaining bodies and released the jutsu as her original searched the room.

The desk held nothing of interest. The walls had no hollow areas. The floorboards were a little creaky, but stomping periodically resulted in no echo. There were no suspicious cracks or gaps anywhere in the room, no - but there was that.

_How careless._ She knelt beside the desk and ran her fingers across the miniscule scratches at its base. She flipped the desk aside and lifted the hatch beneath it, finding exactly what she was searching for.

"P-please," Kodomo, the local civilian cartel boss, was visibly shaking as he gazed up at the featureless wolf mask. "Don't kill me."

"That all depends on you." Her voice rang out with authority. It was firm and strong, almost harsh in the otherwise silent room. She dragged the man out, wondering how he fit in the hidey-hole. He whimpered as she let him fall at her feet. The pungent scent of piss mingled with that of fresh blood. The assassin ignored it. "I was told you're an associate to the Akatsuki. I need any information you have on them. Their current location, safe houses, movements, habits, anything. The more useful the information you share, the more likely you are to keep your life."

"I-I don't k-know anything! I swear!" He clasped his hands together and kneeled in front of her as though she was some sort of god. In a civilian's eyes, it wasn't too far off. "Please, I don't know anything." Snot dribbled from his nose as he cried for mercy. She stared him down, like a silent force urging him to continue. "I only pass on information on bounties, that's it! I don't ask questions."

_Another hopeless lead._

"Plea-"

Her body acted on its own, throwing herself to the side as a triple bladed scythe sliced through the space she had been. Kodomo's head rolled across the floor as the ANBU operative slid to a stop.

Two cloaked figures stood just within the doorway. The one with slick white hair let out a sickening laugh as his scythe returned to his side.

"2.3 billion." The kunoichi didn't wait for the masked man to say any more; she lunged for the window. The hand of the larger rogue wrapped around her ankle, so tight the bone would've fractured had her boots not been armored. "Too bad I can't collect the reward for you, Undertaker. We have other plans in mind."


	2. Blitz

00:02

The Undertaker turned to see neither of the two criminals had moved. The hand around her ankle was attached by means of, well, she couldn't really discern what they were. They looked like tentacles, they looked gross, and they looked like a bitch to deal with. They began retracting back into Kakuzu's arm, pulling her along with it. She drew her blade and cut herself free, though the hand still had a firm grip.

She rolled backwards, released a simple water jutsu, and jumped out the window. She heard the scythe wielder yell out as he followed maniacally. She ripped the hand from her ankle as she spun through the air, dashing forward the moment her feet hit the ground. She turned, tossed the struggling hand into the air, and threw her last kunai. It pierced the center of the hand, bringing it flying toward her pursuer's face.

00:04

Hidan smacked it away and swung for her, but she was already a murder of crows taking to the trees. He let out a dark chuckle.

"Fuckin' Konoha nin and their damned trees." He rolled his neck, releasing a few pops. "Looks like I get to have some fun today."

00:07

"I let the Boss know we've found her." The larger mercenary said as he dropped beside his companion. "Let's make this quick." His disembodied hand slithered back into place. The ANBU watched from her shadows as a mass began to sprout from Kakuzu's back. A mask emerged from beneath his cloak and set fire to the surroundings.

The Undertaker ran from the trees, closing in on the caster with a clone on the other side. His fists shot out to catch each of them by the neck. Lightning struck down behind him and her arm burst through his ribcage, light jumping from her fingertips. The clones in his hands disappeared, and the kunoichi felt bruises bloom around her larynx.

00:31

The original flickered away as the heavy scythe came crashing down like a guillotine. She materialized beside Hidan and brought her shin to his lower ribs, snapping his xiphoid process. She was gone again as he doubled over in pain, a laugh audible beneath the roaring flames.

00:33

"More…" Hidan's head snapped up as he screamed into the growing smoke. "Gimme more!" his laugh was more robust as he leapt onto a burning branch. Kakuzu sent a whirlwind over Hidan's shoulder, originating from a second mask and creating an inferno. Hidan snapped around to see their mark whack her head against a thick oak.

"Watch your back, Hidan," he growled. "This one likes to get behind us." A branch collapsed above her, but she kicked away quick enough. They watched her land deeper into the burning forest, her right arm coated in Kakuzu's blood, her left hand covered in her own.

00:45

Three boulder sized balls of flame raced toward her, and she darted away, hopping from tree to tree. She paused before the first mask, the one that cast the jutsu, and sliced through it with her chakra infused short sword. Kakuzu caught her by her ponytail and yanked her to the ground.

She landed at his feet, her head swimming in a black fog. She felt cold steal drag across her shoulder as Hidan's sadistic laughter rang in her ears. She pulled three explosive tags from her pouch, sticking one to the tentacles that held her and tossing the other two in the direction of their faces.

00:55

They exploded mid flight and the ninja flickered away in different directions. The Undertaker faced her foes on unsteady feet, and fought just to see where they landed. She recognized the silhouette of Hidan, dragging his foot across the ground. Even ten yards away, she could hear his laughter.

Then the pain ripped through her, like a skewer through a rabbit. A cry ripped itself from her throat as she fell to her knees. Blood spilled from her abdomen, and she desperately gathered her chakra to the wound and held it through undamaged armor. Heat seeped through her uniform, soaking her flack jacket and leaving behind a growing cold. The last thing she processed before the darkness washed in was the hard packed earth against a cracked skull and the forest shattering around her.

**1:13**

"It's done." He towered over the dying shinobi as the organization's leader spoke from somewhere within his temporal lobe. "We'll be there in twenty-eight hours."

"Boss is calling a meeting, huh?" Hidan asked as he knelt beside his handiwork. He hooked his finger beneath the mask and ripped it from her face.

"At the Tsuchi no Kuni safe house." He joined his partner on the ground, squeezing her jaw so her mouth was forced open. He dropped a pill in and watching it dissolve before letting her face fall.

"Chakra inhibitors?" Hidan assumed. The masked monster let out a grunt and wrapped the girl in his fibers.

"Let's go."

They left the forest burning behind them, and headed northwest. They ran throughout the night, passing the limp body between them every time the other began to bitch. They skirted around Ishigakure during the predawn hours, and made it well into the Land of Earth by early afternoon.

"Oi," Hidan suddenly halted on a particularly uninteresting rock. "Can't we at least get something to eat? I'm fuckin' hungry!"

"No." Kakuzu continued on, dragging his prize by the back of her collar. The white haired zealot complained behind him until they finally stopped at a roadside café just after dusk. The proprietor served their meal with shaky hands as his daughter hid in the small kitchen. They asked no questions about the bloodied body the missing-nin kept at their feet.

"You're paying, you know." The elder tugged his mask from his lower face and began slurping his udon.

"Whatever." Hidan was too preoccupied with his steaming beef stir-fry. They ate in relative silence after that, and left the money on the table for the missing owner.

A few hours later, they arrived at an opening in the base of a mountain, it's presence hidden in stones and shadow. The barrier accepted their chakra signatures, and dropped just long enough for them to enter the Akatsuki safe house.

They followed a winding cave until they reached a large cavern, a dark lake receding beneath the far wall. There were eight figures scattered about in the darkness, waiting. Kakuzu tossed the package to the center of the cavern while Hidan perched on a broken stalagmite.

"That's her."

"Huh?" The voice was young and loud. The boy it belonged to stepped forward, his blond hair swaying. "The Undertaker is some chick?"

"I recognize that hair," came the deeper, almost gravely tone of the Swordsman of the Mist. He pondered the short coppery hair with the long ponytail at her neck. "Itachi," Hoshigaki, Kisame turned to the young man beside him, unfazed by the glowing red of his eyes. "Isn't that the ANBU who let us leave Konoha a year ago?"

The Uchiha approached slowly, and crouched beside the near corpse. He reached for her chin, a sickening feeling taking root in his gut. He tilted her face from the floor and froze. Her face was covered in dirt and blood and scrapes, but he could still see the pallor of her skin beneath it all. He could see the darkened flesh around her neck, and all he smelled was blood and traces of almond soap. He forced his face to stay neutral, his chakra to remain clam, and focused his heart into a steady pace.

"It is." _Kazumi_. He should've known she was the Undertaker. Should've predicted she'd get roped into the Akatsuki somehow.

_Fate is cruel that way, isn't it?_


	3. Not Today

Kazumi woke to the searing pain of a stranger's chakra fusing the crack in her occipital bone. A groan slipped through her clenched teeth as she opened her eyes to a darkened room, the air moist and earthy.

"You shouldn't be moving just yet, miss," the wrinkled medic-nin warned when she tugged a needle from her arm. "You were nearly lost to exsanguination, and it'll be a few days - at the very least - for your chakra reserves to replenish themselves." Waikiki blue eyes followed the IV to the pouch of blood still dripping through the tube. Questions fluttered through her mind, fuzzy as she tried to concentrate. "Your body has resisted infection so far, but without prop-"

"I get it." The words were heavy on her tongue, her mouth full of cotton. "Why am I being treated in a cave? Who are you?"

"I'm the doctor," he said, "and we're in a cave because that's where the Akatsuki brought me to treat you." She asked no more as he reduced the swelling in her skull. Instead, she studied her environment, thankful the dim setting didn't make her migraine any worse. Incessant dripping echoed against the cold stones; Kazumi did her best to ignore it. They were the only two in the area, but somehow she knew they weren't alone.

Despite the doctor's protests, she sat up, a sharp ache ripping through her upper left quadrant. The blanket slipped from her shoulders to reveal her bandage wrapped torso, dried blood above what would surely scar.

"My apologies," the doctor began, "but I had to cut away your shirt to treat your puncture."

"It's fine." Kazumi understood. After all, she had begun her career as an aspiring emergency medic. It was only when her sensei defected that she decided to aim for the elite ANBU instead. "Do you know what country we're in?" She studied the greybeard, trying to place his nationality.

"Earth," he said coolly. "By the look on your face, I assume that's not what you wanted to hear."

"No." She admitted. _I was near the border of Wind_. She wondered how long she was unconscious. _A day? Two? Even longer?_ She isn't as familiar with Earth territory as the other countries. There was no way to know, other than asking her captors themselves, and she had more important things to learn. She stood from the cold slab that was her operating table and gathered the little chakra she could muster to her head. It would do no good to face the mastermind behind Akatsuki with vertigo. The abdominal pain could be dealt with.

"I was told to keep you in here-" the doctor reached for her bare arm, but she swatted his shaky hand away as though it were a gnat.

Kazumi strode to the mouth of the tunnel branch they were in, and followed the draft. She felt her body protest with every movement, gooseflesh sprouting along her bare back. Every so often, an icy drop spattered on her head. She kept herself straight, shoulders firm, and walked quickly. She checked every turn she came across, and frequently doubled back. She passed a little nook where sunlight slipped through a gap in the ceiling, a redheaded youth gazing up at it. His head snapped to hers when she passed, and she was met with dirt brown eyes. _Sasori of the Red Sand_. He watched her go as a chill crept through her. _It was just the lighting_, she told herself.

Eventually, Kazumi came upon a wide cavern, with a small pond she could hear circulating behind the wall to her right. Kisame studied her from beside the water, Samehada propped against his knee and a bloody rag in hand.

"You're finally up," he greeted. His voice held a sort of gruff smoothness too it, reminding Kazumi of the scales on his monstrous sword and the way they bit into her skin. She didn't trust that voice. "Allow me to finaly thank you for your help last year." He stood, strapping the sharkskin blade around his shoulders. "The Boss is this way." He led her down a tunnel she hadn't noticed on the other side of the cavern. She focused on memorizing their steps, as he pulled his arms from his sleeves. "Here." He tossed his cloak over her head, unbalancing her with the sudden weight of it. "It gets colder the deeper you go."

"I don't want your cloak," she struggled to pull it from her head, the chill in the air washing over her anew once she navigated from beneath the massive thing.

"Yes you do." He was right, of course. It was warm, like summer nights in Konoha, and smelled of the sea. "Your body has enough to heal, don't make it sick too." Kazumi silently acquiesced, slipping her arms through the heavy fabric. She pressed her face lightly into the collar and closed her eyes, overly aware that this may be her very last comfort in life.

_Why would they take me alive just to kill me?_ She pondered, the fog in her head a little lighter. _Do they mean to interrogate me?_ The kunoichi's nails dug into her palm and her teeth ground together. _I'm not ready to die just yet_. The missing Kirigakure nin suddenly stopped beside a particularly dark path.

"Keep the cloak for now." Kazumi didn't know what to make of his comment as she ventured into the shadows. "It doesn't matter which way you go at the split," he called after her, his voice bouncing of the glistening rock. "They both lead to the same place." She glanced back to see his silhouette returning the way they came. The wet ambiance was her company until two low pitched timbres drifted through the dampness.

"Is that all you know?" The sound ground her to a halt.

"All that's relevant." Kazumi almost didn't recognize it, but the ice that spiked through her heart told her exactly who that second voice belonged to. She went left and came upon a crescent shaped sapce. A blue haired woman stood beside a ginger man with a face full of piercings. The other occupant, a raven haired youth, glanced over his shoulder as she stepped around the bend.

They said nothing to each other.

"I was beginning to fear Hidan did irreparable damage," the ginger confessed upon seeing her. The air barely stirred as he spoke. That was all Kazumi needed to decide to keep her distance.

"I won't die so easily." She didn't want to play games. She was fatigued and panic was trying to settle deeper into her bones. "What do you want with me?"

"Straight to the point, then. You ANBU never waste any time." His ringed gaze made the back of her neck tingle. She wasn't sure if his eyes were really colorless, or if it was just the lack of light. "My name is Pain, the leader of Akatsuki." He tilted his head toward the silent woman. "This is Konan, the cofounder and my right hand. You'll be accepting missions from her. Debriefings will be done through your ring, once you've acquired it."

"What are you saying?" Kazumi surprised herself with the strength she mustered in her voice. It almost hid the scratchy quality it held from the sandpaper texture. "You think I'm going to join Akatsuki?"

"You don't really have a choice." There was a truth in Konan's soft pitch that Kazumi felt in the pit of her gut. She knew it would be futile to argue, in fact, it would probably be suicide.

"I have to admit," Pain continued, "it was quite the task tracking you down. We knew nearly nothing of the Undertaker, and followed blind trails. The only evidence you left was your skill." A chilling, humorless chuckle filled the air.

"How ironic," Kazumi's eyes were shadowed with exhaustion. "I learned so much about your organization in the time I spent tracking _you_. Shall we compare notes?"

"You must be the one who fills the Bingo books."

"And empties them." Kazumi didn't know why she thought that was the right thing to say. She took no pride in taking a life, certainly no pleasure, but the comment slipped from her tongue like a hot knife through butter.

"You're efficient." Konan stated. "Clean and thorough with your tasks."

"Which is why I want you in my ranks. Willingly or by force, it makes no matter," Pain stepped forward, until he was towering over the injured kunoichi. His eyes reflected nothing, and Kazumi fought her instincts. At least the adrenaline helped clear her head. "You're my pawn now."

"You won't be ordered to attack the Leaf," Konan added from her side. "It is an agreement we've made with Itachi as well." The ANBU's eyes flicked toward the man she once called a comrade.

"Sounds reasonable." She spoke slowly. She was cornered, a wolf among lions. "But what if I still say no?" She didn't want to give herself to such dangerous people, but her mind was made. _I won't die without answers_. There was, in Kazumi's eyes, a single option.

"You'll be placed in the care of Kakuzu and Hidan." Pain knew he had her. She knew he knew. They all knew.

"A heartless creep and a sadistic psycho?" _Fuck no_. "It's a good thing I'm not refusing."

"It is." Konan agreed as Pain glided back to his original position. "Itachi says you two made a seamless team back in the day. You'll be his charge, and learn to work with Kisame as well." Once again, Kazumi glanced at the Uchiha and still he did not look at her, nor did he speak. "We'll have a cloak made for you while you recover. In the meantime, you can borrow one of Deidara's."

"Now," Pain leaned into the far wall, his unnatural gaze the only thing visible in the shadow. "Let's discuss your ring."


	4. Flying Lessons

**AN:** I still haven't entirely decided where I want this to go in the long run, but I've been spending some time planning out the next couple story arcs and a few things I want to happen at some point in the story. Please let me know if you come across any errors.

Three days and three nights had passed since Kazumi found herself in the Akatsuki. She spent the days meditating on the rocks just outside the cave entrance, constantly watched by one of her new associates. It was mostly the blond whose spare cloak she wore, and occasionally Sasori observed from within one of his defensive puppets. She hadn't seen Itachi since Pain and Konan explained the location of the ring she was supposed to retrieve. Her laughter had rang against the tunnel walls until her abdomen began bleeding and her head threatened to burst.

She spent the nights wandering the tunnels, when her thoughts wouldn't let her sleep. Not that she wanted to, surrounded by her enemies. She had every turn burned into her memory on the first night. She found Deidara snoring softly from a remote corner; Sasori sat nearby, staring blankly ahead. Kisame slept lightly in an area halfway to the room she woke in, stirring whenever she passed; he was gone after she returned his cloak. She never saw a sign of the Uchiha.

It was the fourth day now, and her body felt heavy, her eyes slow. She strode outside, black and red fabric billowing around her. She had discovered the smaller cloak folded neatly on the stone slab she was meant to sleep on. She hated to admit how comfortable it was now that the garment actually fit. It didn't swallow her like Kisame's, nor did it constantly slip from her shoulders like Deidara's. She had foregone the sandals, preferring the steal-toed boots Kazumi normally wore. She had found her new uniform with a fresh shirt and her item pouch, a small note attached.

_Pain was hesitant to return your weapons, but there was no reason to keep your other items. You'll find everything in place._

_-Konan_

"I'm ready." She said, approaching the hulking mass that was the puppet master.

"Are you sure?" Came the surprisingly deep voice of the youngest Akatsuki member. "We won't be coming back here, un."

"Yeah." Despite being told she would be placed with Hoshigaki and Uchiha, Kazumi was on her first official mission with a more appropriate squad. "How long will it take us to reach Otogakure?" Kazumi didn't know their position in Tsuchi no Kuni; it could take anywhere from three days to two weeks.

"Three and a half days," Deidara announced, a prideful grin adorning his boyish features. He tossed a small, white object into the air and released a jutsu. The object inflated into a massive clay bird, more than large enough for the three of them.

"Impressive." Kazumi stayed on the ground as her companions hopped onto the fake animal. "No doubt it's explosive."

"Of course," the kid sounded offended, "it _is_ made of C4," and a little condescending.

"No offense," she spoke slowly, not wanting to light Deidara's short fuse. It was sensitive enough that she had already witnessed two arguments with Sasori, both resulting in Deidara storming off to bomb something in the distance. "But I think I'd rather walk. You know, get my body fighting fit." There was no way she'd get on something so unstable, something she couldn't control.

"It would take approximately a week to walk. We're flying." Sasori demanded. "Get on. You're wasting time." She changed her mind.

"It's ugly." Kazumi stated. Deidara seemed to pop.

"Excuse me?" The blond dropped back to the ground while Sasori grumbled to himself. "This here is one of my masterpieces! Who do you think you are, insulting my beautiful work, hn?" His anomalous hands were on her collar, dragging her up the half inch to his height. Kazumi barely hid the triumphant smile that threatened to break loose, instead adopting her most intimidating gaze.

"Hey kid," Her voice was much lower than she normally allowed it. She stared him down, despite her feet hardly being on the ground. "You aren't challenging me, are you?" _Don't be stupid_, a vaguely familiar voice chided from somewhere in her mind. Kazumi spared it no thought.

"So what if I am?" Deidara nearly growled into her face. She didn't bite back her smile this time.

"Then what do you say we make this interesting?" She pressed her thumbs into his wrists and sent out a miniscule pulse of her chakra. His grip faltered and she returned to solid ground. "If I win, we walk. If you win, we take your stupid bird."

"No." Sasori landed beside Deidara. "If _I_ win, you follow my lead for the rest of the mission."

"I can handle this, Sasori-donna."

"Knowing you, you'll end up wasting time." Deidara grit his teeth and turned to his partner. Kazumi spoke before he had a chance to retort.

"I'll take you both on." _Stupid_, the voice was a little louder this time. _Are you trying to get yourself killed?_ Kazumi slipped her hands in her pockets. "Well?"

"Fine." The blond returned to his bird as two puppets were summoned in front of the copper haired kunoichi. "Let's make this quick. Try to remember not to kill her." With an affirmative from the younger shinobi, the massive bomb took to the air, the lift from its wings nearly blowing Kazumi off her feet.

Her muscles groaned as she sped forward, her fist splintering the wood of Puppet Number 1. Her knuckles began to ache with the impact, but she had packed enough chakra in the hit to keep them from breaking. Puppet Number 2 swiped at her with a fiercely curved blade. She jumped, landed on it's head, and jumped again, rocketing toward the demolitions expert. Her gaze focused on three thumbnail sized spiders coming to meet her.

Realizing what they were, Kazumi changed her course. She tucked herself into a ball and let herself tumble through the air. Explosions reverberated through her tender skull, and she landed on a boulder with unsteady feet. _If only I had my blade and some trees._ As far as she could see, there was only barren shrubbery and too many rocks. She rolled away as Puppet Number 2 came crashing down above her, and glanced to see Puppet Number 3 had replaced Puppet Number 1. Number 3's jaw creaked open, and a storm of senbon shot out at her. She danced around them, picking up a pebble that caught her eye.

Number 3's jaw snapped closed as Kazumi charged the pebble with her chakra. She spun around to see a colorless bird flapping toward her. She threw the stone, and her chakra cut through it's breast. The artificial being collapsed, sliding to a stop at her feet. She had no time to admire her handiwork, jumping away just in time to avoid being snatched by Puppet 3. Puppet 2 slashed at her and Kazumi caught the wooden arm, snapping it clean off. She pried the sword from its grip and dropped the lifeless arm, her feet hardly touching the ground for a moment as she dodged Deidara's C4 rain. Puppet 2 held its other palm open toward her, and fire burst from it's hand.

Kazumi somersaulted out of range and hacked through Puppet Number 3. Her head pounded as the wood clattered against the stones. Deidara hadn't ceased his bombings and Kazumi was beginning to get irritated. She charged her legs with chakra, and jumped. She vaulted through the air with dizzying velocity. It was getting difficult to keep her eyes open. Still, Kazumi sliced through the falling explosives until she was close enough to the kid that was throwing them.

She focused on the bird as it flew in a lazy circle above her. With a burst of chakra, she teleported, transformed, and coated her blade in blue sparks simultaneously. Kazumi struck through the bird as a lightning bolt, narrowly missing Deidara and defusing the C4. As she fell through the air, Puppet Number 4 came up to greet her. She scattered herself into a murder of crows, reassembling on the ground. Her breathing was labored, her grip on the scimitar loose, and her vision blurred.

Number 4 rushed at her, and Kazumi dashed to the side with hardly a moment to spare. She swayed when she stopped and faintly wondered why is was so dark again. Sasori caught her with his puppet as her knees gave out, and he pulled them back to his side. Deidara was seething a few feet behind.

"Was that your goal this whole time?" Deidara yelled as he approached. "Taking out my bird, hn?"

"Quiet, Deidara." Sasori didn't want to hear it from the kid right now.

"Not until she answers me!" He grabbed her by her hair, yanking her head back so the peaceful face of the Undertaker met his, her breath nearly still. Deidara froze, his anger plummeting. "She's sleeping."

"Yeah." Sasori answered as Deidara dropped her head. It lolled in the puppet's grasp. He reached into his pocket for more C4.

"Why?" His hand munched the clay into a replica of the bird she destroyed.

"She's been awake since she got here." Sasori dropped her onto the new bird, stored his puppet in its scroll, and hopped up beside Deidara. The boy was staring at the Konoha shinobi. "If this had been serious, she'd be dead."

"To think," Deidara began, "she fought that well sleep deprived and still recovering from the injuries she got from Kakuzu and Hidan..." a grin lit up his sky blue eye. "I can't wait to try again when she's back in shape, un!"

"She took down three of my puppets with what looked like reflex alone," Sasori watched her hair shift slightly as they took to the sky. "I'd rather not fight her again."

"Hn? Why not? You've got plenty more."

"Every puppet that gets broken means another I have to fix."

"What a dumb excuse, un! You're always tinkering with those things. Obviously you enjoy it."

"You wouldn't understand." Sasori ignored the questioning glance Deidara sent his way. _How could you possibly understand? _Sasori curled up within Hiruko._ Four days. Four days, and we get the ring, and then we rendezvous with Itachi and Kisame. _

? ﾟﾍﾥ?

It was raining, always raining. A copper headed child glared at every drop as she made her way to the only standing structure in town. She adjusted the strap of her messenger bag and struggled to carry the heavy object in her arms as she maneuvered through the door.

She stepped lightly across the room, heading for a young woman kneeling beside the farthest bed, her hands clasped in prayer. As she passed, the child glanced at a shinobi, the stumps of his legs bandaged in dirty linens and the gash in his side stitched with wire. He was going to be the next to die, she knew. The civilian a few cots down was likely to follow within a day.

"Miss Reyla," her voice was quiet but still the woman jumped at the sound.

"You startled me, child." Reyla's tone was warm and enveloping, a strange sound in times of war. "What have you found?" She stood and moved to the next cot, the little girl shuffling silently behind.

"A little more wire, maybe a couple weeks' worth of soldier pills, a few cases of senbon," the girl set the bag on the ground and held up the object in her hands. "And this." Reyla turned to see what her charge held, and immediately stepped back.

"Why would you bring that in here? This is a place of healing." She was not mad, but scared. Her heart filled with sorrow as she gazed at the mere toddler with a sword in her hands.

"The bone saw is too dull -"

"To hold a shinobi's blade is to curse yourself, child." The woman knelt before her as she pulled the blade back to her torso. Her arms were getting tired.

"…curse?" the girl's head tilted, innocent curiosity burning behind teal eyes.

"To live a life of death." Reyla reached out and placed her warm hands on the girl's shoulders. She turned her around, careful not to touch the blade. "Please, return it where you found it."

The child did not argue, and began to retrace her steps. Once again, she glanced at the dying shinobi, but this time she stopped. He was awake. He had no eyes, no nose, no mouth, just a blank face framed by bloody brown hair. Still, he was looking at her, directly in her eyes, and something inside the girl made her want to cry, to rush to his side and hold his hand.

"Kazu…mi…" the child clutched the sword tighter, stepping closer to the stranger. "I'm… so happy… you're…" his body went limp, and all the child could hear was the soft breath of her caretaker's prayers, muffled by the steady rain beating against her war torn world.

The door creaked open.

? ﾟﾍﾥ?

Teal eyes snapped open to a slate sky, the somber scent of precipitation greeting her nose. Kazumi sat up, wind rushing through her ears and whipping her hair all around her.

"You're finally awake, un!" She tilted her head back to see Deidara standing over her, the wind revealing a mechanical eye his golden locks usually hid. "You slept for two days, you know!" Kazumi dropped back against the bird, watching the clouds threaten rain as a hollow rumbling passed through her stomach.

"My stomach thinks it's been longer," she called over the turbulence. "Where are we? Are there any restaurants nearby?"

"Can't you just take some soldier pills?" Sasori asked.

"Yuck." Kazumi scrunched her nose. "That's all I was eating in those caves," she rested a hand on her sore abdomen. "I need a warm meal if I want to be fighting fit when we reach the Sound."

"She's right, Sasori-donna." Deidara had a glossy look in his eye. "Constantly using soldier pills sucks."

"Tell me about it," Kazumi sat back up, crossing her legs beneath her. "I haven't had a proper meal in weeks." She began to salivate as she daydreamed of beef and broccoli stir-fry, seafood udon, and her favorite: a dragon roll with a nice fat eel on top.

"I get it." Sasori snapped. Kazumi's eyes flew open and a blush crept up her face as she realized she had been mumbling all of that. Deidara laughed as she wiped a dribble of drool from her chin.

"I'm turning this bird around, un!" The bomber made a sharp turn, causing the kunoichi to tumble of the side as the artificial bird knifed through the air. Adrenaline rushed through her bloodstream as she spun to face the ground, her thumb to her teeth.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" She threw her arms out and summoned a crow half the size of the bird she just fell from. It let out an ear splitting squawk as she smacked into it's back. "Good to see you again too, Mehrunes!" she laughed as she stood from his silky feathers. Deidara leveled out beside her, and the two criminals stared at her.

"I thought you didn't like birds!" Deidara yelled. Kazumi cupped her hands around her mouth.

"I love birds!" she called back. "It's bombs I don't like!" She couldn't help but laugh to herself as the teen glared at her.

"My bird is way better than your's, un!" Kazumi rolled her eyes.

"His name is Mehrunes!" Another caw punctuated her statement. "And he's capable of thinking for himself, unlike your clay!" Another caw, this one sounding almost amused. Kazumi saw Deidara clench his fists before shouting again.

"Yeah? Well I bet mine is way faster than _Mehrunes_!"

"You sure about that, kid?" He pointed the direction their mounts were facing.

"Forty-seven miles to the closest village, un! Loser pays for the meal!" Kazumi's stomach rumbled again, so loud she almost expected the missing nin before her to hear.

"You're on!" As soon as the words left her lips, Mehrunes darted forward. A shadow passed over his black wings, and Kazumi watched as Deidara held up both his hands and stuck all three tongues out at her. Her eye twitched and she ignored the urge to flip him off. He may be a criminal, but he was still a kid. "Bring me to its tail, Mehrunes!" The bird obliged with another great caw, and a moment later, Kazumi was running up the back of the giant bomb.

"You two are ridiculous," she heard Sasori complain as she pounced on the blond. She pressed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him down as she flipped over his head.

"Respect your elders, kid!" With that, she was falling back into Mehrune's glossy feathers.

"Don't call me kid!" the youngest of the three yelled as he once again took the lead. Three little spiders came falling down on Kazumi and her corvid.

"Not again…" she mumbled. Mehrunes dove forward, leaving the explosions behind them and losing ground in the race. Well, if you could call it losing ground. Deidara suddenly rocketed in a downward spiral, tossing a clay monkey in Kazumi's face as he passed in front of her.

She smacked it away, his laughter piercing through the wind. Kazumi noticed a lack of explosion as Mehrunes swooped down, cutting in front of the white bird. He navigated through a small wooded area with expert precision while Deidara glided above the treetops. The tree line broke a few yards away from a little village, a crowd of civilians watching as the C4 bird landed directly in front of the crow. They shielded their eyes from the sudden gust of wind the wings sent their way.

"That was a dirty race!" Kazumi called as she slid from Mehrune's back. She pet the bird briefly before allowing him to return to Corvoterra.

"No it wasn't." Deidara shrunk his bird, pocketing the little clay creature. "We never settled for rules." Kazumi stepped between her two companions, and they began walking through the tiny village, the crowd parting around them.

"Whatever, kid. You know I don't have any weapons."

"Stop calling me kid!" He glared at her, and Kazumi wondered if her hair was nearly as messy as his. "I'm seventeen, un!"

"And I'm twenty-three."

"You're only six years my senior - that doesn't give you the right to call me kid!"

"Shut it, Deidara." Sasori's voice drifted through his favorite puppet, low and menacing. "You're too young to remember the war, so in our eyes you're still a kid." Kazumi stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"You should count yourself lucky to still have such an innocent view of the world." She watched her feet as she spoke, debating whether or not she should paint her toes. She refused to think of all the horrors she's witnessed in her life.

"My life may not have been touched by the war," Kazumi was surprised to hear his voice at a normal volume. "But it's never been anywhere close to 'innocent'." They unanimously let the conversation drop, as the younger two instead focused on following their noses. Kazumi couldn't help but notice a little girl hide behind her mother's skirts, a doll clutched tightly to her chest. She glanced around the village to see countless civilians openly glaring at them as they passed, some from within their homes, most on the edges of the streets.

"Ignore them." Sasori urged. And so she did, until they reached a little noodle shop on the northern end of town.

"We're closed." A middle-aged woman called as soon as they entered, despite serving a steaming bowl to another patron.

"Come on," Deidara began, "we just want some food. We'll be gone as soon as we eat, un."

"We don't serve criminals." Kazumi glanced down at herself. Black cloak and red clouds. _That's right_, she thought, _I'm a rogue now_.

"Ka-chan." A nearly identical youth emerged from the kitchen. "Let them stay. The sooner they eat, the sooner they'll leave the village."

"Fine. You'll eat whatever we give you. I will not wait on you." The woman's scowl didn't leave her face as she followed her son into the kitchen. Some of the patrons left as the trio sat at an empty table in the corner by the door. Others stared at them, their food left forgotten. A few kept their heads down, and ate in silence.

"This happen a lot?" Kazumi questioned as she removed her cloak. She folded it and set it on the bench beside her.

"You'll get used to it." Deidara mumbled as he and Sasori sat across from her. Kazumi could see the lie in his sad blue eye. "People like us don't need to make friends."

"You're only saying that because you've never had any." Kazumi ran a lazy hand through the short part of her hair, unknotting it as best she could as Deidara's face erupted at the insult. "I'm only saying that because I know," she continued, before he could cause a scene. "I know what it's like to be alone in the world." _Why do you think I hunted the Akatsuki so long?_ she wanted to ask. "Once you connect with someone, you realize everyone needs a meaningful bond in their life." The proprietor's son placed three half empty bowls in front of them, the meat the undesirable portions consisting of mostly fat, and more than likely covered in spit. _I've had worse_. "It gives you something to fight for." She finished as the youth walked away.

Kazumi stared at the two men before her, one of which was eagerly devouring his unappetizing meal. That when the laughter started. It bubbled up within in her, unwilling to be held back. Deidara froze, his visible eye wide and noodles hanging from his mouth. He slurped them up as he continued to watch the strange kunoichi in front of him. Kazumi was acutely aware of the wary glances from the other patrons, but she didn't care - laughter was her favorite thing in the world.

"What's so funny, hn?" She quieted down and ate some of her food before replying.

"I'm sharing a meal with two of the world's most wanted criminals," she took another bite, realizing just how hungry she was. "And I'm surprisingly okay with it."


End file.
